Any bets on Early Dining opening up?

[KatieCharlotte]

We've just booked a December cruise on the Sunshine and have been waitlisted for Early Dining. :eek: That has never happened to us, even when we booked at the last-minute.

 

YTD is still open, but I'm afraid to try it because I love the full MDR experience with the waiters getting to know my kids and I have heard bad things about YTD on the Sunshine. Eating at 8:15 is no longer impossible now that the kids are older, but we'd rather not.

 

 

Online, there doesn't seem to be a way to confirm YTD while remaining waitlisted for early? :confused: So, do I cross my fingers and hope (and see the maître d' if necessary) or grab YTD to avoid late dining and starving kids? Anyone want to bet on my odds, considering how long it is until the cruise?

[lmaea1974]

I'm waitlisted too for our cruise in January, which also has NEVER happened. Did everyone just decide they like early dinning? Sorry no answer or even a guess about the luck of getting in.

 

My question is for mine, YTD is also booked so does that mean we default to late dinning? I assumed there was no backup preference to be able to set.

 

With that said, I would grab the YTD if I were you and see about getting into the early if possible.

 

Good luck!

[dbvirago]

For the last couple of years, we have been waitlisted more often than not. Never had a problem. Go to the dining room first thing. One time, we ate Windjammer first night, which was actually ok.

 

If a problem, try Mytime. We did that on one cruise and ended up with the same tablemates every night and at at 6, so it was really no different.

[dmdiver]

We've had YTD several times & really like it. You can request the same waitstaff every night, so they will still get to know you. Also, if you don't care for the waitstaff you get, you can request not to be seated at their table again. We tend to dine early - just don't like to eat late. The nice thing about YTD is that you don't feel rushed to get to the dining room after a busy day in port, nor do you feel obligated to tell the waitstaff that you won't be in the dining room the next evening.

 

I will say that we were waitlisted for YTD in May and assigned to late seating. We went to the maitre d and asked if something else was available & he was able to give us early seating since YTD was already full. It worked out fine for us and we had great stablemates and great waitstaff.

[Jenny in TX]

We had YTD for the first time on the Glory in April and really liked it. It was just DH and I so we weren't worried about what time we ate and didn't want to be on a strict schedule. I can understand when traveling with kids you might need a more set dinner time. We were waitlisted when we booked out upcoming cruise for October on YTD, but when I checked my cruise online last week it shows that we are now confirmed for YTD.

 

I would just take the waitlist for early dining. You will probably get it and if not like someone else suggested go see the maître d when you get on the ship and they will probably be able to help you.

[chrislo]

We prefer YTD and on our upcoming trip we were waitlisted. I checked several times a day and sure enough it became available for a short time and I was able to confirm. Be persistent with checking on line.

[nwo4life]

Sunshine is different than other Carnival ships. Others ships have far more spots available for assigned dining than YTD. Sunshine is just the opposite, many more YTD spots and all assigned diners in the smaller dining room.

[crusinpsychRN]

Most people lining up first day to request seating ask for early.

[dmdiver]

Just to be clear, we did not eat in a barn with stablemates. I meant tablemates but didn't see what auto-correct had done to me.

[MCFTJCH2V]

We've just booked a December cruise on the Sunshine and have been waitlisted for Early Dining. :eek: That has never happened to us, even when we booked at the last-minute.

 

YTD is still open, but I'm afraid to try it because I love the full MDR experience with the waiters getting to know my kids and I have heard bad things about YTD on the Sunshine. Eating at 8:15 is no longer impossible now that the kids are older, but we'd rather not.

 

 

Online, there doesn't seem to be a way to confirm YTD while remaining waitlisted for early? :confused: So, do I cross my fingers and hope (and see the maître d' if necessary) or grab YTD to avoid late dining and starving kids? Anyone want to bet on my odds, considering how long it is until the cruise?

 

It's inly happened to us a couple of times, usually when we book close to sailing, but a trip to the MDR to see the MD has always done the trick.

 

Also, consider emailing the MD before your sailing.

[GottaLuvCruising]

Just to be clear, we did not eat in a barn with stablemates. I meant tablemates but didn't see what auto-correct had done to me.

 

LOL

 

We are holding a booking on Dream 1/3/16 Journey 11-night cruise. We've been wanting to book it, worked out travel details and need to decide if we are going to confirm.

 

BUT we're platinum and have ALWAYS been assigned our preferred dining time. At this point, we are waitlisted for YTD. The only dining that is currently available is late dining and that simply won't work for us.

 

Platinum used to be guaranteed preferred dining, but now we are just "priority" for it. This is a make or break for us. We'll take early or YTD, but do not want to confirm the cruise if late is our only option.

[okgirl]

My sister and I always have YTD and ask for a table for 2. If we get a good waitstaff and we've rarely not. Then we tell the head waiter and ask for him the next night.

 

Since we have a bottle of wine with dinner, we cash tip at the end of the meal and he usually asks if we're going to have the same bottle the next evening so he can be prepared.

 

A couple of times he has come out to the hostess station to bring us to our table.

[GottaLuvCruising]

My sister and I always have YTD and ask for a table for 2. If we get a good waitstaff and we've rarely not. Then we tell the head waiter and ask for him the next night.

 

Since we have a bottle of wine with dinner, we cash tip at the end of the meal and he usually asks if we're going to have the same bottle the next evening so he can be prepared.

 

A couple of times he has come out to the hostess station to bring us to our table.

 

Now that's good service!

[Wynton67]

We were on Sunshine a few weeks ago and had the same problem. We couldn't get the dining time we wanted and we're wait listed for YTD.

 

We have a 4 year old and have always had a set dining time so that we can take him to camp as soon as dinner is finished. We've done this for the past 6 cruises.

 

Well we decided to give YTD a try. We were paired with a fantastic wait staff on our first night. From then on we simply requested their section every night at checkin. We had to wait once for 15 minutes and the head waiter actually came and found us and took us to the table himself before the pager could go off.

 

Our kid loved them and to be honest it was the best dining experience we've had. We also loved not feeling like the afternoon and early evening were dictated by hitting a specific dinner time.

 

We will now only use YTD. My only regret is that we didn't try it sooner!!!

[KatieCharlotte]

We were on Sunshine a few weeks ago and had the same problem. We couldn't get the dining time we wanted and we're wait listed for YTD.

 

We have a 4 year old and have always had a set dining time so that we can take him to camp as soon as dinner is finished. We've done this for the past 6 cruises.

 

Well we decided to give YTD a try. We were paired with a fantastic wait staff on our first night. From then on we simply requested their section every night at checkin. We had to wait once for 15 minutes and the head waiter actually came and found us and took us to the table himself before the pager could go off.

 

Our kid loved them and to be honest it was the best dining experience we've had. We also loved not feeling like the afternoon and early evening were dictated by hitting a specific dinner time.

 

We will now only use YTD. My only regret is that we didn't try it sooner!!!

 

Thanks for the reassurance. I'm not fond of change and the MDR experience is an important part of cruising for me, but I have to admit that it would be nice not to rush back on our Aruba day, when we're in port from 1 to 10 p.m.

[txgranny]

We have a 3yr old so early is a must but i just read on carnival site that since we have FTTF we get priority dinner times so we're crossing our fingers that we get early dining. Only my 5th cruise but first for waitlist on dining preferences

[SadieN]

Thanks for the reassurance. I'm not fond of change and the MDR experience is an important part of cruising for me, but I have to admit that it would be nice not to rush back on our Aruba day, when we're in port from 1 to 10 p.m.

 

 

Could always eat dinner in port.

[mdhaugh]

We had FttF as well on our cruise last week, but it did nothing to assist us in moving from late to early dining time (that puzzled me, too). Appeal to the Maitre'D after boarding, especially with info about the little one and I bet you'll get moved. I believe they plan for these situations by setting aside vacant early seats for special situations that appear onboard. Good luck!

 

Other than the dining fluke, FttF was an outstanding idea for us. Have fun.

[KatieCharlotte]

Could always eat dinner in port.

 

If you knew me, you'd laugh at the possibility that I would give up a dinner for five people that I've already paid for, even for more time on the beach. ;)

 

Teen DS says he'll just eat seven lunches instead of four or five if we get stuck with late dining. And little DD will probably order two steaks if she has to wait. So Carnival, it's in your own best interests to not assign us to late dining. :D

[Gardeneroflove]

We've never had an issue, always a table just us, early dining. Though, last time I wasn't impressed, we were placed at a two top (three of us) and there were many tables that remained empty the whole week.

 

If not assigned early, we just go down during dining changes and they make it happen.

 

No issues on DCL, CCL or RCL. If we weren't able to get early dining and table for us, we wouldn't tip or cruise that cruise line again. RCL checked who was in specialty restaurant the first night, and gave us their table. So if something isn't available, ask them to check.

 

Yes we could eat other places, but that's not why we cruise. I don't want to stand in line at buffet while on vacation.

[dmdiver]

 

If we weren't able to get early dining and table for us, we wouldn't tip or cruise that cruise line again.

 

Please don't remove your tips - it's not the waitstaff's fault if you don't get the dining time you want.